What is the best way to pack a hard shell suitcase?

Pack bulky items like shoes and personal care items on one side and clothing on the other.
  1. First, pack clothing that tends to wrinkle on the zippered side. ...
  2. On the open side of the bag pack shoes down by the wheels up along the sides of the bag, balancing the weight to help stabilize the bag when upright.




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In the space between the handles, pack a long packing cube with smaller items like socks and underwear. Continue to pack personal care items and additional packed cubes to fill up all the nooks and crannies. Finally, use the suitcase compression straps to maximize packing space and keep items from shifting.

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Hard case luggage doesn't easily fit into compartments the way soft luggage does. A con of some hard surface luggage pieces is that they can be much heavier than cloth cases. On the other hand, a pro is that many are available with extending handles, bottom wheels and other innovative features.

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Do the clothing countdown: If you need a mantra to help streamline your wardrobe, use the 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 rule for a weeklong trip: Limit yourself to no more than five sets of socks and underwear, four tops, three bottoms, two pairs of shoes and one hat. The list should be adjusted to suit your needs.

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Soft Versus Hard Shell Hard shell suitcases can crack, which causes them to fall apart more rapidly than soft luggage. To avoid this concern choose a suitcase made from polycarbonate ABS that stands up to the rigors of travel.

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Hard-shell luggage is the way to go for durability and maneuverability, but soft-shells often pack more easily. American Way, Hemispheres, CultureMap, JohnnyJet, and more. Alisha is a freelance writer and photographer.

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Start by packing items you don't use often so you don't find yourself living out of boxes and repacking. Pack similar items together. Stay organized by packing similar items together based on room or use. Keep essentials packed separately for quick access.

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Most hard-shell luggage comes in the classic clamshell design, where a zipper down the middle opens the case in an even, 50/50 split. That way, you can pack both sides evenly to create an equal weight distribution.

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While polypropylene is the lightest weight material in the hardside suitcase category, other hardshell suitcases will likely still be heavier than softside bags.

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Not every bag, or every traveler for that matter, is built the same – but for the more part, you can sit, lean or stack stuff on your hard luggage without worry.

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Pack less clothing than you think you'll need. For shorter trips, we're big fans of the 1-2-3-4-5-6 Rule for packing: 1 hat, 2 pairs of shoes, 3 pairs of pants or skirts, 4 shirts, 5 pairs of socks and 6 sets of underwear. It works for long trips, too, as long as you can do laundry once a week.

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Polycarbonate has high tensile strength and is extremely long-lasting. Of all hardside, plastic suitcase materials, it is by far the most durable.

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Hardside luggage materials offer maximum protection for suitcase contents and can withstand rough baggage handling. While stronger than most soft-side bags, hard-side luggage can be more difficult to fit into crowded overhead compartments, as you cannot compress the bags to fit in small spaces.

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Weight. Soft-shell luggage tends to be a tad lighter than hard-sided, which lets you carry more contents without exceeding the airline weight limit.

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